Monday, June 7, 2010

The canonical church at Eu dedicated to Notre-Dame and St Laurence O'Toole who died in Eu in the 12th century.

William the Conqueror had been a constant theme in this study tour, so it was fitting that the last visit should be to St-Valéry-sur-Somme, where William’s fleet set sail for England. The area surrounding the memorial stone is cleverly arranged: the pathway represents the English Channel with the major rivers leading into it; the rectangular blocks represent the major places involved in the story of the Conquest. In effect, a birds-eye view of the situation.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

We started the day with a visit to Repton church, with its wonderful 8th century crypt. The vicar and his wife were very friendly and allowed us to visit their garden – the site of the mass grave excavated by the Biddles.

We then went to Bredon on the Hill. Here the earliest surviving parts of the church are Norman, but there is a wealth of Anglo-Saxon sculpted stone set into the walls of the later church.

After a superb lunch in the Bull’s Head, Repton, we went to Stanton-by-Bridge Church – here most of the visible fabric is Norman, or later, but the long and short quoins at the east of the nave suggest an Anglo-Saxon date for the original church.

Finally, we went to Hough on the Hill. This church has a fine Anglo-Saxon west tower with an interesting round stair turret.

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About Me

I am a freelance archaeologist and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland specializing in the medieval period. I have worked as a field archaeologist for the Department of Environment (Northern Ireland) and the Museum of London. I have been involved in continuing education for many years and have taught for the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE) and the Universities of London, Essex, Ulster, and the London College of the University of Notre Dame, and I was the Archaeological Consultant for Southwark Cathedral. I am the author of and tutor for an OUDCE online course on the Vikings, and the Programme Director and Academic Director for the Oxford Experience Summer School.